Justine and Jeff Koons Host Young Designers at a New Fashion Week Venue, The White Space

“As artists, we are acutely aware of the pressures of promoting and finding space to showcase your talent and creativity,” says Justine Koons, who with her husband, Jeff, will host a handful of up-and-coming designers in their Chelsea Studio during fashion week. The curation and organization, however, was led by the Koons’ friends fashion consultant Ruth Runberg and stylist Alison Brokaw.

Runberg wanted to help young designers she’d come across in her work as buying director at Browns and the Charlotte, N.C., store Capitol navigate the tricky waters of finding a place—which usually doesn’t come cheaply—to show their collections and then getting the right people to stop by (i.e. buyers and press). “They just need a white space to set up their stuff and do their thing,” Runberg once said.

Appropriately named the White Space, the venue will showcase the collections of jewelry designer Jody Candrian; Holly Fowler (a Brit who does hand-painted dresses); Lucas Hugh, the luxe fitness line designed by London-based Anjhe Mules; clutch designer Lee Savage; and shawl-maker Yaser Shaw. Justine (whose own Holly Fowler dress painted with images of her husband’s famous balloon dogs “takes pride of place on my studio wall”) says, “We are positive that White Space will be a dynamic platform for these young designers who have done all the hard work; we’re just fortunate to be able to share.” And in return? The group is making a donation to the Koons Family Institute, which works with the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children.